I read another book in this world and this one was by far the most developed! It was The Forbidden Warriors by Moud Adel.

Synopsis: Mastoperia: A hidden continent with four factions divided and suspicious of each other, with a history of unresolved wars, each grounding themselves in their own unique culture, and magical power.

The Forbidden Warriors: The only force powerful enough to keep the factions from destroying one another. The secret to their power is a mystery, but the only way to hold on to it is by passing the power to a new generation every two and a half centuries.

As that time has arrived, each faction must offer a candidate to become the next generation of the Forbidden Warriors, but only one can be the leader. In a race for that leadership position, four candidates and their teams travel across a world mysterious to them, to hunt artifacts they know nothing about. The mission is not easy, their goals are not aligned, and the truth is far bigger than they could have imagined. A challenge none were ready for.

Will they choose their own interests, their factions’ or defy all that they know for the sake of their world.

I really liked where this first installment of the series took us! It was easy for me to jump into the world because I had read the 2 prequel novels. Even if I hadn’t, the author described it fairly well giving you an understanding of the environment and the multiple magic systems involved.

I liked the team based quest aspect to the storyline. It reminded me of the Hunger Games in the sense that they are all competing (and can’t stop even if there is a loss of life) to be the first team to collect the most artifacts. There was danger involved and the artifacts were not that easy to get which made it very interesting.

The team dynamic was well done as well. One thing I would note is that I did get a bit confused at times due to there being 16 different perspectives that you are following and trying to learn about. I think it would have been better if it focused on say 6 of them at the most so it would be easier to remember who is who. They also have names that start with the first same letter so that added an extra layer of confusion to it.

The romantic part of it felt like it spurred out of know where a little bit. I think that the relationships between existing faction members were more genuine and I think that it was a start to what could be a relationship but more work needed to be put into the dialogue between the two of them and I think it needed a little more build-up than just umping right into it.

Overall, it was a great first installment to this series and I am definitely invested reading all of them. The ending of this one was quite the cliffhanger so I need to know what happens next and will be waiting with anticipation for that next book to come out!

Disclaimer: This book was sent to me in physical format by the author to read and give an honest review.

December is fast approaching and I wanted to make it an extra special month by creating a readathon and have all you bookworms participate! It’s called the Reindeer Readathon and it will be taking place from December 1st to the 31st! It is a team-based readathon and all the prompts you complete will count as points towards your team! The winning team will have one random person win a prize! Full details in the video below!

Hey bookworms! I hope you all had a great weekend! I spent it doing a lot of reading and celebrating Canada Day so I had Monday off of work. I read The Kill Code by Clive Fleury over the weekend and it was a good one!

Synopsis: It’s the year 2031. Our future. Their present. A world decimated by climate catastrophe, where the sun’s heat is deadly and the ocean rises higher every day. A world ruled by the rich, powerful, and corrupt. A world where a good man can’t survive for long.

Hogan Duran was a good man once. He was a cop, forced to resign in disgrace when he couldn’t save his partner from a bullet. Now Hogan lives on the fraying edges of society, serving cruel masters and scavenging trash dumps just to survive.

But after four years of living in poverty, Hogan finally gets a chance to get back on his feet. He’s invited to join the National Security Council, the powerful paramilitary organization responsible for protecting the rich and powerful from the more unsavoury elements of society. All he needs to do is pass their deadly entrance exam, and he’ll be rewarded with wealth and opportunity beyond his wildest dreams.

But this ex-cop’s path to redemption won’t be easy. The NSC are hiding something, and as Hogan descends deeper and deeper into their world, he starts to uncover the terrible truth of how the powerful in this new world maintain their power…and just how far they will go to protect their secrets.

In a world gone wrong, can one man actually make a difference, or will he die trying?

This was a fast paced, action adventure and I am here for it. I really enjoyed the way it incorporated the futuristic technology and feel of past dystopian books I have read. It had elements of The Hunger Games and Divergent, two series I really love.

There are parts that had me thinking I knew what was going on only to be revealed that I was wrong and I was happy about that because the book kept surprising me. I couldn’t figure it out too quickly but it just kept moving and in a good direction. I hate when there is a book that I can figure out right away. I’m sure anyone who reads my reviews has heard me say this before.

I like reading books about a futuristic earth where resources are depleted because we never took the time to actually care about our planet. They are like little jabs at us as a population to get our priorities together (which I think we need that little kick in the butt, right?). At least if it gets to that point, after reading all of these books, I will be prepared for this type of future. But I would much rather just imagine it then have it as a reality.

Overall, this was a great, quick read full of action and adventure with twists and turns that no one could see coming!

Disclaimer: This book was sent to me by the author in ebook format to read and give an honest review.

And guess what? We had the pleasure of conducting an author interview to go along with this review! Check it out below.

Author Interview

What is your top read of 2019 so far?

That’s a tough question. Probably “The Lost Man” by Jane Harper. It’s an eerie thriller set in the Australian outback. It’s beautifully written and has, as one of its main characters, a man called Bub. In my humble opinion, any author who is brave enough to call a central character Bub deserves high praise whatever the quality of the book.

What is your favorite book friendship?

John Steinbeck’s “Of Mice and Men” has, as its principal protagonists George Milton and Lennie Small. They are two displaced migrant ranch workers who move around California trying to find work in the Great Depression. George and Lennie have, at first sight, a totally unequal relationship. George is bright, whereas the bulky Lennie is slow-witted. But they need each other and both benefit and enjoy the other’s company. I remember when I first read the book feeling incredibly sad for days after I completed it. I couldn’t get it out of my mind.

Most anticipated book release of 2019?

Well, here’s an easy one. The sequel to Kill Code: A Dystopian Science Fiction Novel. I’m writing it and am hoping I will get it finished early enough for publication before 2020.

How many books are in your TBR Pile?

Four, and I doubt I’ll get to them soon because I have to finish my next book.

Who is your favorite author?

That’s like asking: ‘What is your favorite restaurant’. It’s an impossible question, and the answer depends on the time of day, and the last good book I read.

How did you start writing?

I was forced to write at school. At first, I hated completing essays about questions like: “What did you do in your holidays?” But my English teacher was very supportive and told me that one day I would be an author. Every writer needs that sort of encouragement!

Where is your favorite reading spot?

Lying in a hammock, by a river.

How long have you been an author?

The first book I wrote was back in 2012, though I had written screenplays before that. That book, called ‘The Boy Next Door,’ is for sale on Amazon, and aimed at the young teens market. It’s very different from Kill Code, but is still has science fiction elements. Give it a read.

What do you like about reading?

I imagine I like what most people like who read fiction—the ability to escape from this crazy world to another completely different place.

We have another review from Sara! She was so excited to find out that this author reached out to us again to review the next book in her series. Sara read the first two book in this series and absolutely loved them so let’s read on and find out how she felt about the third adaptation. It is called Drift by Clare Littlemore.

P.S. Sara makes really cool little yarn creatures as a hobby. You can check out her Etsy shop called Adorkable Little Crafties!

Synopsis:Quin believed that a life away from The Beck would make her happy. But when a cruel twist of fate forces her to leave sooner than planned, she struggles to come to terms with her new reality. Haunted by memories of the people she left behind, she finds herself wishing she was back in Patrol, with Cam by her side.

Cut off from The Beck, the escapees carve out a new existence on a small island. Tentative bonds are formed, but as disputes surface and rebellion is threatened, Quin quickly realizes that their new home isn’t the sanctuary she had imagined. And when one of her fellow citizens is willing to go to desperate measures to save those he loves, he puts the entire community in danger.

As they hatch a daring plan to save themselves, Quin is faced with a terrible choice: protect her friends or follow her heart.

Drift is the third in the Flow series, which follows Quin as she battles to forge a new life in unfamiliar territory without the man she has come to depend on.

This novel is an excellent sequel in the Flow series. I love how it picks up right where Break left off, with Quin and her friends traveling away from the controlling Beck society to their safe haven of fellow resistance citizens. This novel is about the struggle of the newly situated citizens and their attempts to develop their society and make a life for themselves in their new home, called the Crag. They are met with other groups of people, struggles between the citizens for power, and then a drastic illness.

This is an exciting and captivating read. I love the world that Littlemore has built, and I love seeing how it develops beyond its initial boundaries, both physically and emotionally. The characters are well developed and relatable, the interpersonal struggles are well formed without being cliche, and the struggles they face make it feel like a survival novel alike to Hatchet and more of this genre.

Again, Littlemore leaves us with quite the cliffhanger. I can’t wait for the next book! I eagerly awaited this one and I’ll eagerly await the next, as I can’t wait to see what happens with this small, strong society trying to recover and rescue the Beck from the Governance. The world feels so huge and well developed, and we’re so invested in the lives of the citizens who remain in the Beck. The exploration of this world Littlemore has created is so fun.

This series really belongs with the young adult dystopian heavy hitters like the Hunger Games and Divergent. I’ll definitely be recommending it to any young adult fans, both teen and older. Another success! I can’t wait for the sequel.

This had me racking my brain for awhile to come up with a character I relate to. I don’t know if this is the best choice but it was the closest I could think of. I would say that I relate to Peeta Mellark from The Hunger Games but Suzanne Collins.

Now I am not nearly as strong as Peeta, but I was thinking more in his way of creativity and his nature he has about him. We both put all our energy into what we want to achieve and stay true to what we believe. I will be outgoing most of the time but also conserved and attentive at other times.

This was the closest I could come to a character that somewhat resembles me. I guess this just means I need to read more books so I can find a similar character to myself. Clearly we aren’t that similar because I couldn’t find much to write about our resemblances. I challenge you guys to find a character that is close to your personality. If you can come up with one, tell me in the comments!

Short but sweet post today on lazy Sunday! Talk to you soon bookworms 🙂